A recent decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the delay in the New Time-of-Use rate structure for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) until March 2021. These new rates are based off changes to what are considered “peak” hours and were originally due to take effect November 1, 2020.
Due to the different implementation deadlines, PG&E are enabling customers the ability to “opt-in and opt-out” on either the old rate structure or under the new rate structure, from now until March 2021, on a meter by meter basis (one time). This accommodation will provide government agencies with an opportunity (over the next 12 months) to strategically select rates for period of time on a meter by meter basis that could result in significant savings.
Avenu Insights & Analytics has partnered with Procure America (PA) to assist our California communities with better understanding the financial ramifications of the recent announcements related to the upcoming changes. In an upcoming webinar on April 23rd at 10am PST we will outline the steps you should be taking NOW to ensure your City, County, or Agency receives the greatest utility savings under the new plan.
We will be discussing:
Join our short 30 min presentation on April 23rd at 10am PST to learn more on this proposed rule change and the expense ramifications.
Avenu recently revealed its release of Clearview Property Tax Suite tailored for State and Local Government Treasurers, Tax Collectors, Auditors and Assessors. The new product suite contains three stand-alone modules that work together or independently with any third-party system.
Avenu recently hosted a series of LIVE Web Series that highlight key features, demonstrate product functionality, and provide live walk-through of example scenarios. We hope the presentations below are helpful as we continue to innovate for the future!
During an unprecedented pandemic, local governments are facing unplanned budgetary pressures. Revenue forecasts constantly change, services are being reviewed, employees are being furloughed, and localities are looking for ways to save money.
“Doing more with less,” has gone from a goal to a necessity. Constituents continue to have heightened customer service expectations and want an up-to-date experience when interacting with their governments. What “was” an acceptable customer service experience for taxpayers 10 years ago is no longer adequate and governments across the country will be forced to consider ways to automate processes to keep up with constituent demand.
The challenge for local government leaders is that while the pressure to maximize revenue has increased, the resources to do so have not. Often, local government revenue leaders are spread thin with expanded responsibilities and decreased budgets and headcounts.
So, what is a local government revenue leader to do?
A partner who can utilize external expertise and experience is key to maximizing revenue. Finding a qualified partner is usually the best option for local governments because it is by far the most efficient and cost-effective way to get the job done. The ideal partner will be able to hit the ground running and DO much or most of the work for a local government.
Our recent guide enables jurisdictions to understand what to look for in a revenue enhancement partner:
During this challenging time, Avenu is here to support you and help your jurisdiction continue to provide exceptional services to your community!
Key takeaways regarding budgeting and how to approach the unknown amid the current COVID-19 crisis
Cities across the country are deep into the preparation of their FY2021 budgets, a job that is difficult in the best of circumstances for both City Managers and Finance professionals. However, under the current pandemic conditions, it is seriously daunting and looks almost impossible. This is particularly true for those jurisdictions preparing multi-year projections. The first challenge is doing the projections at all. The second challenge is working with your elected officials, bargaining groups, and community to accept them!
So how do cities prepare budgets in these radically uncertain times?
The key is the assumptions underlying the numbers. In any crisis management challenge, accurate information is critical. However, the more turbulent and uncertain the environment in which the budget has to be developed, the greater the importance of collecting broad data to support grounding assumptions; and the more critical it becomes for staff to share that supporting data and their related analysis with their elected officials.
That brings us to COVID-19 and the unknowns of the rapidly evolving economic landscape. While all cities currently share the same general uncertainty, each community is, in fact, unique. They are different in size. Their business community mix may be very different than the adjacent communities. Their social priorities may vary widely. Their ability to deliver services, and the type of services they deliver, may differ. Their population may be younger or older than other communities. So, while certain assumptions may apply across all of them, others are going to be unique to each community.
With this in mind, how does each city approach budget development?
There are four areas that any city must now consider when building their FY2021 budgets (particularly when building Year One of a multi-year budget), although how they gather information and the resulting assumptions they make may vary widely:
Download our recent White Paper: Budgeting in a Sea of Unknowns to read more as we outline ways to approach budgeting in these uncertain times.
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Clearview Analytics is our cutting edge software that helps local jurisdictions know the challenge of managing revenue volatility and its impact on budgeting. During these changing economic times, we are supporting our clients to answer their questions, help them better understand the software, and make sure they are prepared for the challenges ahead. This webinar was offered to existing clients who utilize the software. If you are interested in learning more about the product, feel free to reach out to our team!
During the demo, you will learn how to understand and anticipate revenue changes for your jurisdiction. Specifically, the demo covers ways to see how your City is performing by viewing your:
Irene Reynolds brings her years of experience in the company to helping our clients better prepare for the future.
Governor Orders Californians to Stay Home Except for Essential Needs. Just prior to sending this update, Governor Gavin Newsom made a major announcement that he was issuing a statewide Executive Order requiring all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to follow the federal critical infrastructure sectors. The governor’s order will impact over 40 million residents and is deemed essential to protect public health, establish consistency across the state, and “bend the curve” to disrupt the spread of the virus. The order goes into effect tonight, March 19, 2020 and will remain in place until further notice.
Legislature Approves Emergency Legislation Before Recessing Until April 13. The Legislature met on Monday, March 16 to pass emergency legislation related to COVID-19, SB 89 and SB 117, as well as adopt ACR 189. Both SB 89 and SB 117 were passed by the Legislature unanimously and have now been signed by the governor and chaptered into law. ACR 189 recessed the Legislature until April 13 and allows either house to recall itself from recess or allows the two houses to extend the recess if necessary.
During this evolving and unprecedented crisis, we recognize the overabundance of information being disseminated and attempted to capture information of relevance to cities and counties. We will do our best to provide regular updates as new information is available and encourage you to please contact us if you have any questions or need additional information.
Government Relations Contact Fran.Mancia@AvenuInsights.com/559.288.7296
The deadline to introduce bills was February 21. Prior to the deadline, we saw 1,450 new bills introduced between the two houses during the week February 17, with 1,120 bills introduced during the final two days prior to the deadline, bringing the total number of active bills to 2,203.
Avenu is currently monitoring more than 40 bills that seek to modify existing local taxes and impose new fees. Please note that this report is in no way complete. We will continue to update this list as new information emerges.
For the second consecutive year, Avenu Insights & Analytics was recognized on the GovTech 100 list.
The GovTech 100 is an annual list compiled and published by Government Technology as a compendium of 100 companies focused on, making a difference in, and selling to state and local government agencies across the United States. Describing the companies listed this year, GovTech stated, “In 2020, the gov tech market brought bigger deals, more investment, new companies and many fresh new innovations that moved the needle in the public sector.”
Avenu is dedicated to providing cutting edge technology to help increase government efficiency and enhance revenue for jurisdictions. Avenu serves communities by discovering and administering revenue for cities, managing records and information technology functions for counties, and overseeing unclaimed property requirements for states.
Check out the full GovTech 100 list, and let us know how we can be of assistance to you!
CENTREVILLE, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Avenu Insights & Analytics (Avenu), the leading provider in State and Local government solutions, announced the appointment of Lara M. Oerter as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Lara will have responsibility for company-wide operations, including product development and solution delivery. She will be based at the company’s headquarters in Centreville, Virginia.
“Lara brings a wealth of operational, financial and product development experience in both early stage and mid-sized companies. She has an impressive track record of success in growing organizations which aligns with Avenu’s goals of continuing to serve and grow our client base,” said Paul Colangelo, Avenu CEO.
Ms. Oerter brings over 15 years of executive leadership and experience, serving most recently as COO for PrecisionHawk and Senior Vice President with Blackboard. Ms. Oerter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Economics from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.
When asked about her transition to Avenu, Ms. Oerter stated, “I am excited to take on this role and look forward to partnering with our talented leadership team to deliver on our 2020 vision, focus on our customers, and support our growth across the company. My experience working with K-12 and Higher Education organizations has prepared me well for working with Avenu’s state and local government customers.”
About Avenu Insights & Analytics
Over 3,000 State and Local governments have partnered with Avenu to boost revenue, optimize operations, and deepen community trust. Avenu provides revenue enhancement and administrative solutions that uncover new sources of untapped revenue and deliver software that streamlines day-to-day operations. State and local governments partner with Avenu to increase revenue without raising taxes, streamline internal operations, and improve services by enhancing connectivity for constituents. Avenu is a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital. To learn more, visit www.avenuinsights.com.
About Mill Point Capital
Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the business services and industrial sectors. The firm works with executive partners to leverage its investment professionals’ experience, while providing strategic and operational guidance designed to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York.
Contacts
Corinne Aycock, Avenu Marketing Manager, (703) 863-1366
The following summarizes the legislative and legal developments monitored by our government relations team as part of helping protect your City’s existing UUT revenues. This legislative and legal update covers a number of topics including.